University of Indianapolis

The practice turf for the 2012 Super Bowl Champions, the New York Giants, is on its way out of the University of Indianapolis.

To find out where it's headed, check out UIndy News.

On June 7, 2012, The Institute for Leadership and Professional Development at the University of Indianapolis presents the third program in the 2012 Leadership Development Series: Working with the Media.

Leslie Olsen, former WISH-TV news reporter & President, Olsen Communications Consultants, LLC, will help you develop a strong media message and deliver it with confidence. Leslie will explain why the media comes knocking, as well as how to solicit the media to tell your side of the story. Olsen provides tips revealing reporter tricks to get desired comments. In this interactive session participants will put what they have learned to the test in front of the camera.

• Develop a strong message
• Deliver your message
• Interactive program
• On-camera customized scenarios
• Learn to interact with the media

Leslie Olsen is President of Olsen Communications Consultants, LLC. She founded her own media communications company in 2009 after leaving a successful 31-year career in broadcast journalism where she received numerous awards for her work.

The cost for this hands-on training is just $99.  Join us on June 7th from 8:30-noon for this informative program.

To Register: Call 317-791-5716 or email maym@uindy.edu

On Saturday, May 5, 2012,  69 School for Adult Learning students graduated from the University of Indianapolis.  On a beautiful May afternoon these adults fulfilled a life goal.  Many of these students thought they would never earn a college degree, but they did it.  Through hard work, pereservence, and a flexible degree program, these students were able to earn their degree. 

The School for Adult Learning Staff celebrated the accomplishments of each student by honoring them at a Graduation Open House prior to the ceremony.  The sense of accomplishment that each graduate felt showed in the smiles and thank yous at the ceremony.

If you want to find out how to be one of the graduates at a future open house, visit our website, www.sal.uindy.edu.

 Attending the 2012 AOTA conference was absolutely a great experience. Having the event in Indianapolis was perfect. Being fairly new to this city, I do have to admit that this city does a fantastic job of hosting events. Having the opportunity to meet various occupational therapy students and practicing clinicians from across the country was remarkable. Everyone I came across and spoke to was so encouraging and positive; and trust me I am not easy to impress. It was comforting to see the sheer excitement and candid expressions from everyone involved in this coming together of the minds.

 It all began with the opening ceremony, having a huge hall filled with staff, students and clinicians was awesome. Before the ceremony we got to meet Mayor Ballard, who was kind enough to come by and chat with us for a few moments. There was a dueling piano act that opened up and played everything from Elvis to Lady Gaga; that really got everyone up and moving. After the opening ceremony I had a chance to check out the expo hall and let me say….WOW, there was so much to take part in and see. I stopped by a bunch of booths that were advertising cutting edge pediatric tools and others which were advertising new assistive technology. I also collected my fair share of freebies. I also had a chance to attend a session on the Occupational Therapy Centennial Vision. I learned a great deal from hearing New York’s Senator Kennedy (who is also an occupational therapist) speak about doing more to advocate for our profession.  There were several other speakers that discussed adaptive and assistive technology, which I found to be really interesting.

The highlight for me personally was having the chance to be a part of the alumni reception. Since many UIndy alumni came back, it seemed like a family reunion. The banquet hall has filled with people laughing and remembering the fun times they had at the University of Indianapolis. Reflection is important in the world of occupational therapy, so as I look back on the 2012 AOTA conference it is an experience I definitely needed at that time in the semester and an experience I will never forget. Hopefully next year I can attend the 2013 AOTA conference in San Diego.
-Michael K. Agyemang, ATC, OTS (First-year MOT student)
University of Indianapolis, School of Occupational Therapy

If you listened to the voice that keeps saying, "go back to school," you would have earned nine credits in the last fifteen weeks attending class just one night per week at the University of Indianapolis School for Adult Learning.  Why do adults decide to return to school?

1. Better Future: Adults realize that a bachelor degree is important to help them have the life they want. 
2. Better Job:  A bachelor's degree is valued in the workplace. Adults realize moving up in their career can be accomplished with the bachelor degree.
3. Life Change:  Many times a life change such as death of a spouse, divorce, or becoming an empty-nester means there is a need and often the time to return to school.
4. Set an Example:  Adults realize that it is difficult to encourage their children to go to college if they have not gone to school themselves. 
5. Lifelong Dream:  There is no better reason to return to school. The sense of accomplishment an adult feels when he/she reaches the goal of graduating from college is tremendous.

If you are ready to earn a degree, contact Laurie Daeger, Admissions Advisor in the School for Adult Learning, at ldaeger@uindy.edu or 317-788-3442.  The SAL staff is ready to help you every step along the way.

The School of Occupational Therapy at the University of Indianapolis is among the top occupational therapy programs in the nation, and this week it's celebrating its 25th anniversary in conjunction with a national occupational therapy convention.

UIndy's School of Occupational Therapy produces more OT practioners than any other program in Indiana, and those alumni will have the opportunity to gather in celebration of their alma mater on Friday, April 27. The celebration is part of the American Occupational Therapy Association's Annual Conference & Expo, held in Indianapolis April 26 - 29.

Learn more about the University of Indianapolis School of Occupational Therapy's 25th Anniversary and the American Occupational Therapy Association's Conference at UIndy News.

The University of Indianapolis works hard hard to grow the arts in Indianapolis, and it's Fifth Third Bank Campus Sculpture Walk is proving to be a successful method.

The outdoor exhibit contains more than 20 pieces of three-dimensional art, with the newest piece installed yesterday. "Source," created by Wisconsin-based artists Keven Brunett and Kristin Thielking, was placed on the Good Hall lawn at the southeast corner of Hanna and Otterbein Avenues.

Visit UIndy News for a picture and description of this newest piece of artwork.

Have you ever been, or considered going, to Belize to provide professional service or as a service-learning student? During the past 3 years, I have fallen in love with my “adopted second home," and have had the privilege of taking several of our MOT and UIndy pre-occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT) students and a couple of School of Occupational Therapy faculty there with me on a yearly basis to provide brief OT intervention. This summer I am ever so excited to be teaching Seminar in International Practice, which will allow me and my co-trip leader, Krannert School of Physical Therapy faculty member Dr. Bill Staples, to take 5 postprofessional OT and PT students, 5 DPT students, and 2 OT/PT guests to Belize for 2 weeks in July for service-learning and service-provision activities with a wide variety of Belizean partners. One of the really neat things about these trips is that we are pioneers in most senses of the word (although we do stay in air-conditioned accommodations!), as there are currently no practicing OTs (that I’m aware of) and very few practicing PTs in Belize.

Belize is a developing country, who just won her independence from Great Britain in 1981. As a fairly new nation, she is working to develop sustainable infrastructures, and take care of her people, who comprise a mix of rich cultural backgrounds and lifestyles (including people of Mayan, Mestizo, Asian, Lebanese, Mennonite, Indian, and Creole descent, along with many “ex-pats” who have emigrated there from the U.S., Canada, and Europe). The national language is English; although of course there are those who primarily speak Spanish or one of the Mayan dialects. Belize is truly a beautiful country, with her numerous ruins, caves, beaches, and other “tourist attractions”, but what really brings me back there time after time, and makes me long to be there once I return home, is the openness and friendly, welcoming nature of everyone whom I’ve met there—all are so appreciative of our therapeutic and service-related gifts, no matter how small or insignificant they may seem to us.

When I went on my first spring trip there in 2009 as a co-trip leader of a student trip, I worked to gather oral histories from residents of a retirement center in San Ignacio. The following year I took 3 MOT students back with me to the same facility. Last year, we grew to 8 MOT students, 2  faculty, and a school in addition to the retirement center. This summer, we will partner with the original facilities plus 2 additional retirement centers, another primary school, CARE-Belize (which is like our first-steps, serving children from birth to school-age), NaRCIE (the National Resource Center for Inclusive Education), for school-aged children, a karate club, 2 local physicians, and a hospice nurse providing home care in San Ignacio and Belize City. Whew! The word is out! But I believe we are up to the challenge, despite limited resources—we have brave hearts, after all!

So, I return to my first question: Are you interested in going to Belize to provide professional OT or PT service, or get some life-changing service-learning experience? If so, I can help you fulfill that dream! 

Candy Beitman, EdD, OTR
Associate Professor, College of Health Sciences
University of Indianapolis

University of Indianapolis English Professor Mary McGann might be retiring this spring, but she's far from done teaching. Thanks to her recent receipt of a prestigious Fulbright Scholar Program, McGann will spend next year teaching at Poland's University of Warsaw.

Read more about McGann and the Fulbright Scholar Program award at UIndy News.

On May 5, 2012 University of Indianapolis MBA Director, Steve Tokar and Dr. Kathy Bohley, Professor of International Marketing and Business, will take MBA students and alumni on the annual University of Indianapolis International Trip. This year the group is headed to Budapest and Prague.

What will our UIndy MBA students and alumni experience on this year's trip?

The flight from the US will take our contingent to London, England. Once in London, the group will take the tube into the city for a guided tour of The Tower of London followed by time to explore on their own before meeting back up for lunch at the famous Punch & Judy Pub in the Covent Garden Piazza, built in 1787. From there, it's back to Heathrow to catch the flight to Budapest.

The first stop in Budapest will be at the GE Research and Manufacturing Facility.  After a tour of the facility and lecture from a local political analyst, the group will see sites in Budapest including Fisherman’s Bastion, Matthias Church and Heroes’ Square .

Tuesday is a free exploration day with dinner as a group. Dinner will be a traditional Hungarian experience, including folk dancing at Marvanymenyasszony Vendeglo - Marble Bride Restaurant. 

Wednesday is travel to Prague. Thursday begins with a visit with CzechInvest, a local investment and business development agency and then on to Cerge-E The Center for Economic Research and Graduate Education. It’s a joint workplace of Charles University in Prague and the Economics Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic.

All of that and back on the ground in Indianapolis by 7:55pm Sunday evening!

UIndy MBA Director, Steve Tokar feels that this is a vital part of differentiation in the competitive business environment today. "Being able to list on your resume that you have traveled outside of the United States and have experienced not only the culture of other countries, but have visited with business leaders, will set your resume apart for the remainder of your career." 

One of our alumni, John, shares his experience on a previous trip to China. John left the United States for the first time on a University of Indianapolis MBA International Trip and enjoyed the experience so much, he spent a semester taking MBA classes at the University of Indianapolis Campus in Greece.

As a UIndy MBA student, you can attend an International Trip at any time during your program. You can go before you finish your first year! UIndy MBA alumni are invited to attend every year as well. Some of the highlights of the trip design are:

• As a student, you can take MBA 652 Global Business Seminar as a course, it will count as an elective or toward an International Business Major. You do not have to take a course in conjunction with the trip.
• The trip lasts a week, where possible, so you can easily take vacation time from work 
• Trip destinations are announced approximately six to eight months in advance to allow you time for planning.
• Previous trips have visited:  China, Dubai, Australia, India, England & France, Brazil, Argentina and Chile.

Make sure you "Like" our The University of Indianapolis MBA Facebook page to see pictures of the Prague/Budapest trip later in the month.

It was announced over the weekend that the ninth president of the University of Indianapolis will be Robert L. Manuel. Beginning in July, Manuel will replace retiring president Beverley J. Pitts, who has served as president for seven years.

Learn more about Manuel by visiting UIndy News.

The "flipped classroom" model shifts the current classroom paradigm so that lectures can be seen at home while homework activities are done in class. This is to allow more time for applying the knowledge and receiving more personal help from the instructor. Modern technology has sparked this new trend in education in which the flipped model transforms classrooms into laboratories or studios where class time is used for answering student questions/helping with homework plus other activities which help students apply what they’ve learned.

In EDUC 597 - Flippling the Classroom at the University of Indianapolis, teachers will develop the skills to flip their own classrooms while experiencing the flipped classroom model themselves. Focus areas will include a conceptual framework for the flipped classroom and strategies for ensuring that students engage in active learning within this model of teaching.Time will be blocked out for teachers to find content from a wide variety of sources across the disciplines, as well as teachers creating their own content.The flipped classroom isn’t just about bringing new technologies into classrooms; it’s about using that technology to transform the way students learn.

EDUC 597 is available for 3 credits, beginning Tuesday evening May 6, 2012  The course will continue on Tuesday and Thursdays, 5:00-8:00 PM, until May 26, 2012. Registration information is available here:  http://education.uindy.edu/ci/

April 1 marked the start of Jazz Appreciation Month, and the University of Indianapolis is doing its part to ensure that this rich art form is engrained into the culture in Indianapolis.

UIndy Arts proudly presents its fifth annual Jazz Week, April 9 - 14. This week of performances features prominent combos and big bands of local, regional and national renown. Free concerts kick off the week's festivities with modestly priced performances following.

Learn more about Jazz Week's lineup and how you can purchase tickets by visiting the UIndy Arts website.

When I was researching MBA programs I really did not consider the University of Indianapolis Executive MBA Program that meets on Saturdays because, well, it was on Saturdays! I could not imagine giving up every Saturday for over two and a half years. I was a mother of a 2 year old and thought I would be missing out on too much. I elected to do an off campus cohort program and never looked back, until I visited the Saturday program a few weeks ago.

Wow. Those people looked well rested on a Saturday morning compared to my evening classmates. I guess that is a benefit in not having to attend class after work two nights a week. I don’t ever remember feeling that refreshed in an MBA class after working all day. The other benefit is that the quality of instruction is not diminished, the Saturday program enjoys the same instructors and instruction time as the other UIndy MBA Programs.

In talking with a few of the Saturday MBA students I was surprised to find out that many of them had young children at home. I had a complete shift in my thinking as I listened to one Dad tell me that he loved being home for his children's bed time every night. He told me that knowing he would be gone on the weekends, extended family and friends picked up in his absence with activities and help around the house. He said that the evenings around his house are hectic for two parents and his wife appreciated not having to do two of those alone every week. He agreed that the MBA program was a big time commitment, but having the Saturday option made it less stressful for him as a husband and father.

Another benefit is the group work coordination. The Saturday cohort has lunch together, which provides an excellent opportunity to work on group projects or have a study session. For our evening program most of us were too tired after class to even entertain the idea of getting together after class so we would have to get together on a non-class night or a weekend morning. But, at 3:30pm on a Saturday, you can easily work together for a while and be home by dinner without having to sacrifice any more time to group meetings.

One student shared with me that on Monday and Tuesdays he focuses on any practice problems, homework or reading for his morning class. Wednesdays and Thursdays he works on the afternoon class and he takes Fridays and Sundays off in terms of his MBA studies unless there is a test or project that needs his attention.

In hearing these stories and looking at the Saturday program through the eyes of those who have made the commitment, I see why it’s a huge benefit for many people.

Culture in Indianapolis continues to flourish thanks to the The University of Indianapolis Art Gallery in the Christel DeHaan Fine Arts Center.

The gallery's most recent exhibition, Tandem Press: 25 Years of Printmamaking, features museum-quality editions of prints. Based at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Tandem Press is a unique creative laboratory where renowned artists are invited to experiement with printmaking techniques and interact with students.

Learn more about the exhibition and an upcoming gallery talk by vising UIndy News.

On Monday and Tuesday, March 19 - 20, 2012, supervisors, managers, and future leaders from area businesses attended the University of Indianapolis' Institute for Leadership and Professional Development's (ILPD)  Supervisory Institute (SI). For more than 60 years ILPD has been serving Indiana businesses and individuals by providing  a variety of training opportunities. Supervisory Insitute is an intensive 2-day seminar that enhances the knowledge and skills needed by both new and esperienced managers and supervisors. Participants leave with practical solutions to implement in their workplace.

During the March 19 -20  training, the participants learned up-to-date techiniques in topics:  Engaging Your Workforce to Maximize Results, Strategic Planning:  Envisioning and Plannning the Future, Emotional Intelligence, and Building Trust. ILPD brings in instructors/facilitators with real world experience.  Through networking, classroom instruction, and hands-on activities, the participants are prepared with the "tools"  improve their performance as leaders.

Did you know that according to the Gallup Management Journal's survey on employee engagement, 27% of workers are engaged, 59%are not actively engaged, and 14% are actively disengaged.  The March SI participants learned this fact and how to increase the number of engaged workers at their companies.

UIndy will host the next Supervisory Institute on July 16-17, 2012.  Contact Laurie Daeger, ILPD Marketing Director, at 317-788-3442 or ldaeger@uindy.edu for information.

Congratulations to our Novice Speech Team for claiming first place in its division at the recent Novice National Individual Events Tournament!

The tournament, designed for first-year speech competitors, attracted more than 150 students from 25 colleges and universities. UIndy's three-person squad was comprised of Cameron Sabotin, Olivia Bohnhoff and Ashley Stanford.

Visit UIndy News to learn more about the Speech Team's successful season.

Both the Indianapolis Star and the Hechinger Report have taken note of UIndy's tough teacher education programs. The publications each published joint-effort articles on Thursday, March 15 detailing the rigours training our education students receive throughout their time at UIndy. Not only is the training intesive, but it's relevent, as our School of Education embraces program reform as the industry experiences change. Learn more about the news coverage, and find links to each publication's article by visiting UIndy News.

Download the second edition of our University of Indianapolis iLEAD (Educational Leadership) newsletter by clicking on this link:  http://education.uindy.edu/ilead/newsletters/2012/Winter2012.pdf

Additional newsletters for our principal leadership program will be published in the coming year.  We're including news/updates about educational issues, our masters degrees in education, our graduates, and our students.  Our iLEAD graduate education program is a 5-semester hybrid curriculum preparing principals and instructional leaders.  iLEAD classes meet on select Saturdays in an executive style format for 18 months.  We welcomed our 12th cohort this fall and are accepting applications for our 13th cohort.  They will begin their program of study in May 2012.  Additional information is on our website:  http://education.uindy.edu/ilead/